Improvement in railroad-gates



H. BALL & mas-awn. RAILROAD-GATE. No.177.453. Patented May15 1876 WI TJV' ESSES N. FKOTO-LITHOGRAPKH, WASMNGTUILP. C.

UNITED STATES HOWARD J. BALL AND MICHAEL S. BREWER, OF PARIS, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,453, dated May 16, 1876; application tiled W v I April'24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that'we, HOWARD J. BALL and MICHAEL SNODEN BREWER, of-Paris, in the county of Edgar, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Ga-te; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which' form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to a railway-gate which serves the usual purpose of a removable barrier, and also is especially designed to act as a cattle-guard.

. Our invention consists in the combination with a spiral flange, pivoted to the outer sides of the rails, and provided with a rigid arm, of two gates, sliding on inclined ways, and connecting-rods, secured to the lower portion-pf the gates, whereby the power is exerted nearly in line with the travel of the gates.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of mygate and operating mechanism, and

Fig. 2 a side-elevation view.

A is the bed-road of any railway, to the ties of which are secured eyebolts B, projecting up approximately to the treadlevel of the T- rails, and on the outersides of said latter, and

'engagingwith its eyes is the rock-shaft 0, running parallel with either rail. To this shaft is connected rigidly and by any suitable means the spiral flange D, which is the actuating part of the mechanism, and forms, as it were,

the same piece with the rock-shaft. The free and working end of the flange is always in a plane, as to which, and that of the outer surface ofthe rail, the plane ofthe secured end of the flange is intermediate, and the outward throw or reciprocation of the flange serves to impart active force to the apnaratus. At a suitable point on said flanged roller, so as to operate the gate in question, a rigid arm,E, is attached, which, as the gate is closed, stands angularly inclined from the vertical, and engages with the 'conneeting-rod F at right angles thereto by a loose joint, so as to allow of the necessary horizontal and vertical action on part of both. This rod F is secured to the gate at its opposite extremity at such a point as will cause its line of action, as imparted, to be inclined to the horizontal, and nearly in line of travel with the gate hence, as shown in the drawings, same is connected to the lower section or bar of the gate. The gate G is of double construction, whose half-sections meet in the center of the intervening railspace distance, and are hung so as to be inclined strongly enough to the vertical as will cause the-natural gravity of their frames to automatically close the sections when, freed from an opposing force. Suitable posts IT support the gate-sections, and are provided with grooved friction-rollers I, forming an embracing system of supports, which carries the sections securely in position, and preserves them from any lateral play. Stops K may be placed on said posts-to regulate, respectively, the outward and inward throw or thrust of the gate.

to hold the gates ina posture opposed to their gravitating force, and consequently they slidev down into their former place, closing the track and carrying with them the rock-shaft and connecting mechanism, now ready for a second'similar operation.

It is understood that the other side of the gate is provided with the same means and parts as shown in the front view, so that a train from the-opposite direction duplicates the above-described operation, only acting in- ,dependently of the apparatus on the other side of the gate.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a spiral flange, piv- PATENT ten. 7

The apparatus is operated as follows The This oted to the outer sides of the rails, and pro- In testimony that we claim the foregoing, vided with a rigid arm, of two gates, sliding we have hereunto set our hands. on inclined ways, and connecting-rods, secured HOWARD J. BALL. to the lower portion of the gates, whereby MICHAEL SNODEN BREWER. the power is exerted nearly in line with the Witnesses: travel of the gates, substantially as and for JOHN LYTLE HIZAR,

the purpose described.

WILLIAM ABNER GRAHAM. 

